The Mudblood Attack
by British Child
Summary: {COMPLETED} Hermione Granger was the only student to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets before anyone else. What she didn't expect, is how quickly it would catch up with her. Based in CoS. A forgotten scene.


_The Mudblood Attack_

**_Category: _**_Harry Potter_

**_Genre: _**_Horror/Suspense_

**_Rating: _**_PG_

**_Characters: _**_Hermione Granger, Penelope Clearwater, Gilderoy Lockhart, Madam Pince_

**_Summary: _**_Hermione Granger was the only student to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets before anyone else. What she didn't expect, is how quickly it would catch up with her. Based in CoS. A forgotten scene._

**_Disclaimer: _**_I don't hold claim to the Harry Potter characters or story._

_(A/N: This was a request from my friend Stephanie, who wanted me to write a story about her favourite character from Harry Potter, Hermione Granger. I thought of this abandoned scene that I could write and it turned out pretty well. Of course, I don't own any characters or I would be rolling in dough. :: smile ::  
  
This has major spoilers for CoS, if you haven't read the book or seen the film. That's the only warning. Otherwise, enjoy! I hope you like this!)_

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"Harry - I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"

Hermione Granger did just as she said, rushing up to the silent study on the stairs and bursting inside, cheeks flushed and panting loudly.

_"Ssh!"_ Madam Pince, the librarian scolded her with a finger to her lips, her expression seriously angered at the disturbance.

Hermione sufficed a meek smile. "Sorry." she apologised, before stepping quietly over to the desired location bookshelf in which she wanted, and searching for the correct book, tracing her fingers over the spines, hunting for it. It was a relief that everything was kept in alphabetical order, or she would have been there all afternoon.

_'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.'_ she knew she'd picked it up before...she remembered something about it. Everything seemed to make sense when she thought carefully...the strange voice Harry seemed to hear, his ability to speak Parseltongue, and the Muggleborn attacks happening around school. It was here...the answer was here somewhere...in this book.

"Found it." she whispered triumphantly, pulling the large book out with effort, and carrying it over to the table with her, plopping it down noisily. She winced as Madam Pince shot her another stern look.

Ignoring it, Hermione began flipping the pages, pleased at the organisation of the alphabetical orderly world, as she searched for the letter 'B', and the creature 'Basilisk'. Yes, she had a suspicion that it was all down to this. Finding the passage, she fingered down the words, reading them to herself.

_"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious and deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. _

_Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside for its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."_

Hermione gasped in success and understanding. Of course! It all made sense now! The Heir of Slytherin...in the Chamber of Secrets...was using a Basilisk to purge the Muggleborn students from Hogwarts! That's why Harry was the only one to hear it, he understood Parseltongue!

And of course, it would have also explained why Hagrid's roosters were killed and why a trail of spiders had been seen escaping from the castle! Plus, Hermione quickly realised why everyone had been Petrified instead of killed, because she remembered that no one had looked it directly in the eye.

She knew that she had heard of this before - why hadn't she noticed sooner? But according to the passage, it was said to grow to gigantic size. Not even the Heir of Slytherin would command it to be shown full hours of the day around school...it must be hiding somewhere.

Making sure that Madam Pince wasn't looking, she quietly tore the passage out of the book and stuffed it into her robes, feeling guilty for destroying a part of school property. Then, re-shelving it and jumping to her feet, she took off towards the entrance, once again ignoring the librarian's cry of protest.

_Oh, it wasn't like I was smashing the place to pieces!_ Hermione snapped in her head. Truth be told, she would never dare say it out loud.

She let out a slight scream of surprise as she collided with someone just outside the door, managing not to lose balance. She was in such a hurry now, she had to get back to the common room and tell Harry and Ron what she had discovered.

"Steady, steady, watch yourself, Miss Granger!"

Oh, as if it couldn't get any worse! Hermione felt a blush rise to her cheeks as Gilderoy Lockhart grinned handsomely down from above, obviously delighted to see her. Hermione, though she felt flattered by his smile, knew she hadn't much time to waste. "I'm sorry, Professor!" she said, catching her breath in her throat, "I...I...was."

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" Lockhart demanded, suspicion in his eyes. "Great Scott, don't tell me you've paid a visit to the library unaccompanied? Rules were stated to remain in one's common rooms, were they not?"

Embarrassed, Hermione nodded dumbly. "Yes, sir."

"Well, then!" he gushed, "Given the fact that no doubt you were looking up one of my personal bestsellers, I still can't let my top student wander around in this threat! Come with me, Miss Granger!"

Normally, this would have pleased Hermione and given her more admiration to offer ("I'm your top student?"), but right now, she had other ideas. "No, Professor...it's fine. I was on my way back, anyway. Just had to look something up."

"Aah, something by yours truly, according to your needs. Simply fascinating. You have remarkably good quality standards, my girl - almost as well as I had at your age! Keep it up, won't you? I'll see you back in my classes soon...better head back myself."

Managing an uncomfortable smile, Hermione nodded fervently and hurried off down the corridor, the blood pounding in her ears. She made her correct turns to return to the common room, but one pass beside the girl's bathroom where she had encountered the troll in her first year made her stop and think.

Just for a moment, she wondered how wide the pipes went in the school. They spread throughout. Spreading through all parts of the school...long enough too. Could an enormous Basilisk be using the pipes to worm its way around? It seemed the only way. How else would anyone not been able to see it?

In a new rush of excitement, Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out her quill, quickly writing the word 'Pipes' on the torn passage, in case she forgot. She felt pleased with herself, if not proud. Placing the quill and the passage away, she continued down the corridor with her head held high, with a burst of confidence.

She had just turned the next corner when she heard a low hissing, approaching behind her. She froze in her steps, heart racing and in her throat. Her mind spinning, she sensed the Basilisk making its way towards her, its next target; the next Mudblood it smelt.

She could picture the gigantic snake, slithering toward her, waiting to strike for the kill. Her mind played up for all of the places she could hide; she could go, but at that moment, all she wanted to do was run as fast as she could. Scared to even move for a while, every deep, dark thought was insisting that it was the Basilisk.

Hermione gulped, full of terror, not wanting to look back. With a strangled cry, she once more fled down the hall, her footsteps making noise and desperate panting from herself.

"Don't look at it...don't look at it..."

She saw someone turn the nearest corner ahead of her. A Prefect! Oh, thank goodness! She struggled to catch up. "Stop! Stop, wait!" Hermione screamed hoarsely, her hair flapping.

The Prefect turned, making herself to be Penelope Clearwater, a Ravenclaw student in Percy's year. She frowned at Hermione. "What on earth are you doing?" she questioned. "Are you with a teacher? Don't run! Hey! What are you - " She was stopped as Hermione caught up with her, tugging on her arm and looking frantic. "Let go of me, did you hear? I'm a Prefect!"

"A mirror!" Hermione cried out, shooting one fatal glance behind her. "Do you have one? Please check! Quickly! Do you have one with you - in your bag?"

"What is this all abou - "

"Please just look!" Hermione begged, her pleads growing urgent.

With a look of confusion, Penelope opened her bag and fished out her hand mirror, offering it curiously to Hermione. "Why do you - "

"There's no time!" Hermione wailed in interruption, quickly snatching the mirror out of Penelope's hand. "Listen, I know I shouldn't be here alone, but there's something...a Basilisk, it's coming..."

But her words trailed off as she noticed the look on Penelope's face. It was clear Hermione wasn't the only one who knew what one of them were.

The Prefect was startled. "A...a Basilisk? In Hogwarts? Where is it? How do you know?"

Hermione felt her heart racing again. "I heard it behind me a few seconds ago...but now it could be anywhere."

"Oh, God." Penelope clutched her palms to her face.

Dreading the Basilisk's presence, Hermione bravely held out the mirror at arm's length, her knees trembling. "W-we can check around corners with this," she said. "In case it comes back. That way, we can see it before it gets to us."

A fervent nod from Penelope explained that she agreed.

The two girls steadily began their way down the corridor together, being sure to use the mirror at their every chance. Hermione, trying to feel hopeful that the common room wasn't too far away, felt her neck stiffen every time she heard a noise. Penelope was none the same, remaining hushed and still...rare for a Prefect.

They continued further, until Hermione felt Penelope halt in her tracks, listening. "What is it?" she whispered, and it was at that instant that she heard the familiar hiss, coming from somewhere nearby.

The Basilisk's hisses sounded like jets of steam, ejecting off the walls. They were so deafening, they hurt Hermione's ears. She wondered for a moment what it could be saying, what Harry would be hearing if he were here instead.

She shuddered, and held the mirror out shakily. Beside her, she felt Penelope shiver too, and mumble something under her breath, as if she were praying. Hermione prayed too, in her head.

_Please let it go away...please..._

All seemed quiet for a moment, as if the hisses passed. Hermione listened hard for the Basilisk, but was greeted by silence. She was just beginning to think it was time to move on, when she heard Penelope let out a blood-curdling scream, right beside her.

"OH, MY GOD! IT'S THERE! IT'S...IT'S _HUGE!"_ Penelope cried out, throwing herself to the floor, shielding her eyes, protecting herself. She bumped into Hermione hard, sending her to the floor too, hearing her scream out in alarm.

"Don't look at it!" Hermione tried to warn over the girl's screams, hoping to make herself heard. Now her heart was pounding so hard in her throat, it hurt to breathe. She shut her eyes tight, still holding the mirror.

"SHUT YOUR EYES!" she commanded.

She could hear Penelope gasping hoarsely. "It's coming closer...it's going to _BITE_ ME!" she screamed again. She too had her eyes shut, and moved her hand across to Hermione, prying and feeling her way for the mirror. "Give me the mirror!" she ordered frightfully, a sob escaping. "Give it to me, quick!"

Hermione, not daring to disobey a Prefect, did as she was told and made a feeble throw, blind because of her closed eyes. She heard Penelope make out another stiffened cry, and then she was silent again. Hermione prayed she hadn't been Petrified.

Hearing the Basilisk approaching, she tried to turn as best she could on the floor to find her feet, but it was useless. She felt its tail slither over her body and let out a moan, feeling sick.

Feeling around on the floor for the mirror, she felt it a few inches away from her. Grabbing it up again, her arm collided into something...something hard and cold. In shock, she opened her eyes for an instant to see, and gasped aloud.

Penelope had been Petrified...her eyes were open and empty, as was her mouth from screaming. Hermione forced down a cry of horror to accidentally blink and look into the mirror, quickly realising the foolish thing she'd done.

"No!" she screamed, as the face of the menacing Basilisk leered in on her reflection, catching her eye. She plunged her hand into her robes one last instant for her wand, but only succeeded in grabbing the paper passage from the library book, and even if she had tried a second time it would have been too late.

She stiffened and froze, her face showing terror. The mirror, still clutched in one hand and the crumpled paper in the other, fell to the floor along with her body, stiff and cold as ice.

Hermione Granger...the newest victim to be succumbed by the Basilisk's poisonous stare. Only the next in line for Mudbloods to be purged from Hogwarts by Slytherin's Heir.

The only one who investigated...and worked out the mystery.

**_{END}_**

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_(A/N: Yay! I finally put this one up, I've had it in my cupboard for ages and I found time at last to post it. I know it wasn't as long as it could have been, but it explains how Harry and Ron found her with the things like the mirror and paper. Please R&R, and tell me if you liked Penelope's personality! Lol, I based her from Percy...)_


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